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Sunday, 31 March 2013

Jim's Column 30.3.13

Chris Chilton, who scored against Falkirk in 1971

John Green wrote to me recently to say that he had been
visiting friends in Falkirk recently and had talked to some of the local
supporters. They all agreed that Steven Pressley was doing he right thing by
moving to England to manage the Sky Blues but were sad to losing a fine
manager. One of the Falkirk supporters raised the topic of a two-legged game
between Falkirk and the Sky Blues in the 1970s but did not remember much about
the game or what the competition was but did remember that Man United boss Alex
Ferguson played for Falkirk. John asks if I could supply some details of the
games & confirm the Appearance of Ferguson.

The teams met in the now defunct Texaco Cup, a competition
involving English & Scottish First Division sides who had not qualified for
European competitions. City entered the Cup, sponsored by the oil company, for
three seasons from 1971-74 with little success. The tie with Falkirk was played
in September 1971 with City losing the first leg in Scotland 1-0 but winning
the second leg 3-0 after extra-time at Highfield Road with goals from Chris
Chilton, Ernie Hunt & Dennis Mortimer, to go through on aggregate 3-1. Alex
Ferguson did play in both legs for the Bairns. City's team for the first leg
was Glazier: Coop, Smith, Mortimer, Blockley, Parker, O'Rourke, Carr, Chilton,
Hunt, McGuire sub: Barry. In the second leg Cattlin replaced McGuire, Young
replaced O'Rourke.

Ian Harris of Radford posed an interesting question this
week he points out that the club look set to play at least 58 competitive games
this season (more if they reach the play-offs). Ian wanted to know if this is a
record for the number of games played by the club in a season. The answer is
yes it will be a record, topping the 1962-63 season when the team played 57
games. That season, severely disrupted by the bad winter, City played 46 League
games, two League Cup ties and nine FA cup ties. Some people might argue that
they played 57 1/2 games as the Colchester home game was abandoned at half-time
because of fog. Ian also pointed out that they will also play 30 home games,
another club record, topping the 29 set in 1962-63 and equalled in 1973-74.

Last week’s loss at Fratton Park was a rare away defeat
for the team in a run stretching back to last October. It brought to an end a
run of four league wins (five in all competitions) and was only the second away
league defeat in 12 games since the reverse at Brentford on 23 October. This is
undoubtedly the best away run since the club entered the League in 1919 and
would have barely thinkable last season when the Sky Blues managed a single
paltry away win. Several readers have asked about the ‘Brazil’ away kit and
commented how lucky it has been. For the record the club have played 11 games
in the change kit and won eight, drawn one and lost two (at Carlisle &
Portsmouth). Once again this is a record for any ‘away’ kit the club have ever
worn & highly unlikely to ever be topped. Older fans may point out that in
1969 we played two away games in green shirts and black shorts (the new green
& black striped shirts weren’t ready at the start of the season), and won
both, at West Brom & Ipswich, before retiring the quite dashing kit in
favour of the stripes.

Gary McSheffrey hasn’t had a great season for the Sky Blues
and the penalty miss at Portsmouth will not have helped his confidence. The
miss was the first by a City player this season after five successful ones,
strangely by five different players. Kevin Kilbane, John Fleck, David
McGoldrick, McSheffrey himself and Carl Baker had all netted from the spot
before last week.Unfortunately Gary
has set a club record which he won’t be proud of – the most substituted City
player of all time. Before yesterday’s game he had been taken off in 21 of 26
league games in which he has started. The previous record, I believe, was held
by Dele Adebola in 2005-06 – he was pulled in 16 games. Some statistics have
been produced this week on the most substituted players of all time and Adebola
is 9th on the list having been ‘subbed’ on 202 occasions. Top of the
list is Robbie Blake with 237 substitutions and I see that by coincidence he
was released by Doncaster in the week the list was published! McSheffrey by the
way has been ‘subbed’ 139 times and is in 79th place in the list.

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About Me

I have supported Coventry City FC since my first visit to Highfield Road in 1962. I am the club's official historian and have a regular column in the Coventry Telegraph. Here I would like to enable my readers who can't buy the paper to access my columns and comment.